Operating System Overview

Introduction

Operating System Concepts by Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne

Content
 What is an Operating System?
 Operating system functions
 Operating-System Structure
 Operating-System Operations
 Computing Environments
 Open-Source Operating Systems
 Computer System Structure
 Computer system can be divided into four components:
 Hardware – provides basic computing resources
CPU, memory, I/O devices
 Operating system
Controls and coordinates use of hardware among
various applications and users
 Application programs – define the ways in which the
system resources are used to solve the computing
problems of the users
Word processors, compilers, web browsers, database
systems, video games
 Users
People, machines, other computers
Four Components of a Computer System
 Computer System Organization
 Computer-system operation
 One or more CPUs, device controllers connect through
common bus providing access to shared memory
 Concurrent execution of CPUs and devices competing for
memory cycles
 What Operating Systems Do?
 Computer system is divided into four components
 Hardware
 CPU
 Memory
 I/O Devices
User View
 Users want convenience, ease of use and good performance
System View
 OS is a resource allocator
 Manages all resources
 Decides between conflicting requests for efficient and fair resource use

 OS is a control program
 Controls execution of programs to prevent errors and improper use of the
computer
 What is an Operating System?
 A program that acts as an agent between a user of a
computer and the computer hardware. The purpose of an
operating system is to provide a platform on which a user
can execute programs conveniently and efficiently.
 Operating system goals: (ECE)
 Efficiency: Use the computer hardware in an efficient
manner
 Convenience: Make the computer system convenient to
use
 Execute: solving user problems easier through user
programs
Note: The main goal of the Operating System is to make the
computer environment more convenient to use and the
Secondary goal is to use the resources most efficiently.
 Why are Operating Systems Used?
Operating System handles the following responsibilities:
 It controls all the computer resources.
 It provides valuable services to user programs.
 It coordinates the execution of user programs.
 It provides resources for user programs.
 It provides an interface (virtual machine) to the user.
 It hides the complexity of software.
 It supports multiple execution modes.
 It monitors the execution of user programs to prevent errors.
Operating system functions
 Memory Management: The operating system manages the
Primary Memory or Main Memory
 Processor Management
 Device Management
 File Management
 User Interface or Command Interpreter
 Booting the Computer
 Security
Operating system functions cont.
Services Provided by an Operating System
 Program Execution
 Handling Input/Output Operations
 Manipulation of File System
 Error Detection and Handling
 Resource Allocation
 Accounting
 Information and Resource Protection
 System Services
Operating-System Structure
 A Single program OS
 Multiprogramming OS
 Time-sharing or Multitasking: Interactive computer system
 Job Scheduling/CPU Scheduling
 Storage Structure
 Main memory – only large storage media that the CPU can
access directly
 Random access
 Typically volatile
 Secondary storage – extension of main memory that
provides large nonvolatile storage capacity
 Hard disks – rigid metal or glass platters covered with
magnetic recording material
 Disk surface is logically divided into tracks, which are
subdivided into sectors
 The disk controller determines the logical interaction
between the device and the computer
 Storage Hierarchy

 Storage systems organized in hierarchy

 Speed
 Cost
 Volatility
Storage-Device Hierarchy
Computer-System Architecture
 Most systems use a single general-purpose processor
 Most systems have special-purpose processors as well
 Multiprocessors systems growing in use and importance
 Also known as parallel systems, tightly-coupled systems
 Advantages include:
1. Increased throughput
2. Economy of scale
3. Increased reliability – graceful degradation or fault tolerance
 Two types:
1. Asymmetric Multiprocessing – each processor is assigned
a specie task.
2. Symmetric Multiprocessing – each processor performs all
tasks
Symmetric Multiprocessing Architecture
 A Dual-Core Design
 Multi-chip and multicore
 Systems containing all chips
 Chassis containing multiple separate systems
 Clustered Systems
 Like multiprocessor systems, but multiple systems working
together
 Usually sharing storage via a storage-area network (SAN)
 Provides a high-availability service which survives failures
Asymmetric clustering has one machine in hot-standby
mode
Symmetric clustering has multiple nodes running
applications, monitoring each other
 Some clusters are for high-performance computing
(HPC)
Applications must be written to use parallelization
 Some have distributed lock manager (DLM) to avoid
conflicting operations
 Clustered Systems

Clustered Operating Systems work similarly to Parallel Operating Systems

as they have many CPUs. Cluster systems are created when two or more
computer systems are merged. Basically, they have an independent
computer but have common storage and the systems work together.
The components of clusters are usually connected using fast area networks,
with each node running its own instance of an operating system.
Operating System Structure
 Multiprogramming (Batch system) needed for efficiency
Single user cannot keep CPU and I/O devices busy at all times
 Multiprogramming organizes jobs (code and data) so CPU always has
one to execute
 A subset of total jobs in system is kept in memory
 One job selected and run via job scheduling
 When it has to wait (for I/O for example), OS switches to another job
 Timesharing (multitasking) is logical extension in which CPU switches
jobs so frequently that users can interact with each job while it is running,
creating interactive computing
 Response time should be < 1 second
 Each user has at least one program executing in memory process
 If several jobs ready to run at the same time  CPU scheduling
 If processes don’t fit in memory, swapping moves them in and out to
run
 Virtual memory allows execution of processes not completely in
memory
Memory Layout for Multiprogrammed System
 Operating-System Operations

 Interrupt driven (hardware and software)

 Hardware interrupt by one of the devices
 Software interrupt (exception or trap):
Software error (e.g., division by zero)
Request for operating system service

Other process problems include infinite

loop, processes modifying each other or
the operating system
 Operating-System Operations (cont.)

 Dual-mode operation allows OS to protect itself and

other system components
 User mode and kernel mode
 Mode bit provided by hardware
Provides ability to distinguish when system is
running user code or kernel code
Some instructions designated as privileged, only
executable in kernel mode
System call changes mode to kernel, return from
call resets it to user
 Increasingly CPUs support multi-mode operations
 i.e. virtual machine manager (VMM) mode for guest
VMs
Transition from User to Kernel Mode
 Timer to prevent infinite loop / process hogging resources
 Timer is set to interrupt the computer after some time period
 Keep a counter that is decremented by the physical clock.
 Operating system set the counter (privileged instruction)
 When counter zero generate an interrupt
 Set up before scheduling process to regain control or terminate
program that exceeds allotted time
Computing Environments - Traditional

 Stand-alone general purpose machines

 But blurred as most systems interconnect with others (i.e.,
the Internet)
 Portals provide web access to internal systems
 Network computers (thin clients) are like Web terminals
 Mobile computers interconnect via wireless networks
 Networking becoming ubiquitous – even home systems use
firewalls to protect home computers from Internet attacks
Computing Environments - Mobile

 Handheld smartphones, tablets, etc

 What is the functional difference between them and a
“traditional” laptop?
 Extra feature – more OS features (GPS, gyroscope)
 Allows new types of apps like augmented reality
 Use IEEE 802.11 wireless, or cellular data networks for
connectivity
 Leaders are Apple iOS and Google Android
Computing Environments – Distributed
 Distributed computing
 Collection of separate, possibly heterogeneous, systems
networked together
Network is a communications path, TCP/IP most
common
– Local Area Network (LAN)
– Wide Area Network (WAN)
– Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
– Personal Area Network (PAN)
 Network Operating System provides features between
systems across network
Communication scheme allows systems to exchange
messages
Illusion of a single system
Computing Environments – Client-Server
 Client-Server Computing
 Dumb terminals supplanted by smart PCs
 Many systems now servers, responding to requests
generated by clients
Compute-server system provides an interface to client
to request services (i.e., database)
File-server system provides interface for clients to
store and retrieve files
 Computing Environments - Peer-to-Peer
 Another model of distributed system
 P2P does not distinguish clients and
servers
 Instead all nodes are considered peers
 May each act as client, server or both
 Node must join P2P network
 Registers its service with central
lookup service on network, or
 Broadcast request for service and
respond to requests for service via
discovery protocol
 Examples include Napster and
Gnutella, Voice over IP (VoIP) such as
Skype
Computing Environments - Virtualization
 Allows operating systems to run applications within other
OSes
 Vast and growing industry
 Emulation used when source CPU type different from target
type (i.e. PowerPC to Intel x86)
 Generally slowest method
 When computer language not compiled to native code –
Interpretation
 Virtualization – OS natively compiled for CPU, running
guest OSes also natively compiled
 Consider VMware running WinXP guests, each running
applications, all on native WinXP host OS
 VMM (virtual machine Manager) provides virtualization
services
Computing Environments - Virtualization
Computing Environments – Cloud Computing
 Delivers computing, storage, even apps as a service across a network
 Logical extension of virtualization because it uses virtualization as the base
for it functionality.
 Amazon EC2 has thousands of servers, millions of virtual machines,
petabytes of storage available across the Internet, pay based on usage
 Many types
 Public cloud – available via Internet to anyone willing to pay
 Private cloud – run by a company for the company’s own use
 Hybrid cloud – includes both public and private cloud components
 Software as a Service (SaaS) – one or more applications available via
the Internet (i.e., word processor)
 Platform as a Service (PaaS) – software stack ready for application use
via the Internet (i.e., a database server)
 Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) – servers or storage available over
Internet (i.e., storage available for backup use)
Computing Environments – Cloud Computing
 Cloud computing environments composed of traditional OSes,
plus VMMs, plus cloud management tools
 Internet connectivity requires security like firewalls
 Load balancers spread traffic across multiple applications
Computing Environments – Real-Time Embedded
Systems
 Real-time embedded systems most prevalent form of
computers
 Vary considerable, special purpose, limited purpose OS,
real-time OS
 Use expanding
 Many other special computing environments as well
 Some have OSes, some perform tasks without an OS
 Real-time OS has well-defined fixed time constraints
 Processing must be done within constraint
 Correct operation only if constraints met
Open-Source Operating Systems
 Operating systems made available in source-code format
rather than just binary closed-source
 Counter to the copy protection and Digital Rights
Management (DRM) movement
 Started by Free Software Foundation (FSF), which has
“copyleft” GNU Public License (GPL)
 Examples include GNU/Linux and BSD UNIX (including core
of Mac OS X), and many more
 Solaris a commercial UNIX based OS of Sun Microsystems.